


Nuclear Reaction

by Zethsaire



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Depression, Explicit Language, F/M, M/M, Post Children's Crusade, Racism, References to Homophobia, References to Suicide, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-13
Updated: 2013-01-20
Packaged: 2017-11-25 03:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/634527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zethsaire/pseuds/Zethsaire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Children's Crusade.</p><p>Billy's recovering from his depression, getting his GED and trying to get his life together.  Teddy is the loving fiancee, working and doing whatever he can to help Billy back on his feet.  Tommy works...somewhere, and is generally mysterious an difficult.  Kate shows up from time to time, just to let them know she hasn't forgotten about them. And that's their life, until the return of a certain white-haired alien disrupts their daily routine.</p><p>DISCONTINUED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a Wiccan/Hulkling fic, and there is still plenty of that pariing, but it's sort of morphed into a Tommy/Noh-varr fic, because I love that pairing, and they are grossly under-represented. So...if you're here for anything else, it's not going to be found. (There might be a mention of Kate/Eli, but he's off doing his own thing, so he probably won't show up much/if at all.) And I might take some liberties with their powers, if only because they're new-ish characters and they're young, and their powers haven't been fully explored by any means.
> 
> And feel free to correct me on events if you want; I did just power through all the comics with Wiccan and Hulkling in them, so as far as they're concerned, I think I've got everything covered.
> 
> Edit: Yes, this fic is now discontinued. It was my first one in the fandom, and the plot and story bits I have for the rest of it really shows. I'm probably going to re-use bits of this in something better. I'll make note of it!!
> 
> The age of consent for sex in New York is seventeen, and gay marriage is also legal in New York. In the comics, Wiccan was sixteen at the beginning of Children's Crusade; I'm fairly certain that when Teddy proposes, he's turned seventeen. For the purposes of this fic, Wiccan was seventeen at the beginning, and has since turned eighteen. I don't know if he's actually older, but Teddy always seemed older to me, so he's nineteen in this story. 
> 
> Billy is recovering from a severe depression. There may be references to suicide, suicidal tendencies, mood swings, depression and depressive thoughts, thoughts of low self worth, and all the other things that happen when someone is on medication. Especially when they're a witch, like Billy, and shouldn't be on medication, but human therapists don't know that. I'll try to stay away from specific triggers, but read with caution if you also struggle with suicidal thoughts.

**Nuclear Reaction**

Billy Kaplan had the best fiancee ever.

Teddy was kind, gentle, sweet, and understanding. He also became a giant green monster that threatened to rip the limbs off anyone who even _thought_ about hurting Billy. He'd even stood up to Magneto for Billy. Really, how much more awesome could a boyfriend be?

He made Billy feel so unworthy at times. Well, most of the time, to be honest. Especially when Teddy had stuck with him through his month's long depression, helping him get out of bed and back, made him eat even when he hadn't felt like it, and even proposed, instead of leaving him like Billy felt he deserved.

Billy's eighteenth birthday had come and gone while he was in his black depression. No one had tried to get him in the mood to celebrate then, but once Teddy had broken him out of it with his amazing proposal, the rest of the team had insisted on throwing him a party. He still wasn't sure how much he felt like celebrating, but he bore it just to see the smile on Teddy's face. He'd made Teddy frown too often over the last few months; he did whatever he could to make Teddy smile now.

The good news about turning eighteen was that he and Teddy could officially move out of his parent's house. They'd been staying at the Young Avenger's hideout some during his depression, whenever Billy's mom got too upset about Billy's mental state and Teddy needed somewhere to drag him to out of the house. His parents hadn't _understood_ his need to move out, not really, but they'd accepted the fact that with his powers, he was going to need to live somewhere else. Having Captain America telling them that in their own living room had helped clear that up. His dad had still given Teddy The Speech, and showed him the gun that Billy didn't even knew he had. Yet another thing that Billy needed to make up to him.

After checking it over with the team, Billy and Teddy had officially moved into their hideout full time. Tommy was the one who really needed to be convinced; he was the only one without another home to live in, and had pretty much claimed the warehouse as his own when the rest of the team wasn't there. Kate had been really cool about everything; refusing to make them pay rent or utilities. Teddy had gotten a job as a basketball coach at the local rec center, to give them some money to live on. Even without rent, they needed to eat, and they both refused to live off of Kate's hand outs. Even though she meant well, there was only so much they were willing to accept from her. Billy's mom still insisted on sending them money, and she forced food on them every time he or Teddy went to visit her. His mother thought Billy was too skinny, and the fastest way to fatten him back up was with some home-made Jewish cooking.

He had lost a lot of weight. Billy had never been a big guy to begin with, but through his near-catatonic state at the window, he'd hardly eaten. The only time he'd even tried to think about food was when Teddy was there, forcing him to eat. Most of the time Teddy had actually force fed him, if he wanted him to eat more then a few bites at a meal. The only good that had come out of it was that now Billy could eat whatever he wanted without having to worry about getting fat – he _needed_ those calories, at least for the next few weeks. He still wasn't that hungry, but he forced himself to eat every meal, though he still couldn't keep up with Teddy's appetite, even when he was trying.

Teddy had lost weight too. It was hard to tell, because he was a shape-shifter, and could make himself pretty much any size he wanted to. But his neutral form; the one he didn't have to expend any effort to look like, was usually the one he shifted to around Billy, simply because they were so close to each other. Billy would watch him out of the corners of his eyes, and notice that his cheekbones were more sunken then they used to be, and his clothes hung off him more then they should. As soon as he turned around, Teddy would shift to fill his clothes, and smile, and pretend nothing was wrong.

He felt awful that Teddy was putting on such a brave face, but at the same time, it was the only thing that kept him going. The hardest thing about this whole thing was getting over his depression. He'd been snapped out of it when Teddy had proposed, but every time he got tired, or honestly didn't feel like doing something, people would get this look in their eye, like they expected him to go lay down for a nap and then never get back up again. He couldn't even _look_ at the window seat without Teddy flinching.

He lay beside Teddy, in their big bed, curled up against his stomach, one of his legs in-between Teddy's, with Teddy's strong arm around his waist. He lay there on the pillow, just watching Teddy sleep. After being comatose for months, he had trouble sleeping, and would often have insomnia at night, just to pass out during the day. But even if he couldn't sleep, he felt safe here. He wasn't sleeping all the way at the end of the bed, trying to distance Teddy from his complete and utter failure. He was here, in Teddy's arms, and even with everything else that was still going on, he felt safe.

Teddy stirred beside him, shifting in his sleep. It was almost time for them to get up, and Teddy's subconscious knew this, even as the rest of him tried to stay asleep for just a few minutes longer. Billy let his fingers trail down Teddy's chest, feeling the hard muscle that was there under his thin white sleeping shirt. He hesitated when his fingers reached the waistband of Teddy's boxers, before sliding carefully underneath. He stroked Teddy slowly under his boxers. The shape shifter hadn't woken up completely yet, but he already had morning wood. Billy wondered what he was dreaming about.

Of course, Teddy didn't stay asleep long, not with Billy fondling him under his clothes. He came awake with a moan of, “Billy...” and nuzzled against him, his arm automatically gripping Billy's hips harder.

They hadn't had sex in ages. Well, there was the desperate and frenzied sex they'd had the night Teddy had proposed, after they'd _finally_ gotten back from the ill-timed meeting with Captain America and the other Avengers. But other then that, their sex life had been almost non-existent. Teddy was afraid to start anything, and Billy was so fed up with himself and the way he'd been acting, that it was difficult to get into the mood. He'd given Teddy a few hand jobs and a blow job or two, but Teddy was romantic enough that he usually insisted they not do anything unless Billy got something out of it too. So that had been difficult.

Mornings were the easiest time to talk Teddy into letting Billy make his lover come, especially if he started before Teddy was really awake. It wasn't like Billy didn't want to have sex; he did. It was just...hard to get excited about it when all he could think about was how awful of a boyfriend, and now fiancee, that he'd been. But that didn't mean Teddy had to be celibate too. Hell. He'd had to wait for Billy the whole time Billy was depressed, so it wasn't anywhere near fair that he'd have to wait now too.

Billy stroked him faster, bringing his other hand down to shove Teddy's boxers out of the way. Teddy moaned, his eyes still hazy with sleep. His cock was hard and responsive in Billy's hand, and he gave an appreciative groan as Billy picked up speed. Teddy finally seemed to wake up, because he gasped out, “Billy!,” and tightened his grip on Billy's hips again, looking up at him with lust-filled eyes.

Billy smiled. “Mornin'.”

“M-morning.” Teddy gasped out, his breath coming in heavy pants. “Feels good Billy.”

“I know.” He knew what Teddy liked, and ran his other hand down Teddy's chest, until it rested under his cock, and fondled Teddy's balls.

“Uhn...” Teddy moaned.

It didn't take long for Billy to bring Teddy off. He ran his hand softly over Teddy's skin, working swiftly to help Teddy find release. Teddy shuddered as he came, whispering Billy's name over and over. He lay there afterwords, with a smile on his face.

“Well, that was a hell of a lot better then waking up to my alarm.” Teddy said, smiling.

“You're welcome.” Billy said. He cleaned up the mess on Teddy's stomach with a corner of their blanket, despite Teddy's protests. He'd wash the sheets later. He made no move to jack himself off, and Teddy didn't bring it up.

“So.” Teddy said, running his hand up Billy's back, massaging his neck and burrowing his fingers in the soft hair there. “What are you going to be doing today?”

Billy leaned back into Teddy's touch. Even if he couldn't stay hard enough to actually do anything, he'd really, really missed this. Just the comfort of Teddy's touch, of his warm, firm chest pressed up against Billy, really, it was enough for him. That's what he told his libido, anyways.

“I'm going to go the library and study, and then I've got to do the shopping, and after that I'm going to come back here and train. I'm...a little rusty with the magic, for some reason.” He gave Teddy a wry smile.

Teddy chuckled to make the moment easier, neither of them actually wanting to talk about _why_ Billy hadn't used magic enough to stay in practice. “When's your test?”

“Two weeks. I did okay on the practice exam, but I could do better. If I'm going to get a GED, I want to do well on it.” Billy tried to say it positively.

Teddy leaned over and kissed him, knowing how depressed Billy was about flunking out of high-school. It had been hard on all of them to go to school and be a super-hero at the same time, and Billy's grades had already been slipping before the whole Wanda-incident. He only went to school a few days after his depression had set in, and finally had stopped going altogether, opting to sit by the window instead.

Now that he was trying to get his life back together, he'd signed up for a GED practice test, gotten books to study, and went to the library every day to work through them. He'd always been a good student, at least, before super-hero work had gotten in the way. He couldn't exactly say he was _excited_ about doing school work, but it was nice to be doing something he was good at again. He wasn't worried about passing his test, but he _was_ concerned about figuring out what the hell he was going to do with his life afterwords. He wouldn't be a burden on Teddy any more; he'd already decided that.

“You're gonna do great.” Teddy said with a grin.

“I'm sure as hell going to try.” Billy replied. “And _you_ are going to be late if you don't get up now.” He said, looking at the clock.

Teddy groaned, but knew he was right, and forced himself up and out of bed. He stumbled off in the direction of the bathroom, clearly still not really awake. Not wanting to stay in the quickly cooling bed by himself, Billy also got up. He shivered in the cool air of the room. They kept the temperature pretty cool at night; Billy got cold easily, but Teddy was always very warm, and it was easier for Billy to cuddle next to him or wear heavy shirts rather then have Teddy sweating uncomfortably.

He went to the kitchen and filled their tea kettle with water, then set it on the stove to boil. He wasn't the best cook in the world, but he could make a decent cup of tea. Teddy didn't drink coffee, but he liked a nice cup of English Breakfast or Chai tea in the mornings. And after he'd broken out of his depression, Billy's therapist told him he needed to cut caffeine out of his diet, or he'd have a much higher chance of slipping right back into a depression.

Billy scowled as he watch the tea kettle, unconsciously holding his hands out over the burner to warm them. Therapy. He went twice a week, and his parents insisted on paying. He went to see a Dr. Lisa Shoal; someone his mother worked closely with, and who had a high enough clearance to be told about some of the events that had led into his depression. Billy hated therapy. For all that the woman tried to help him, she was still human. She wasn't a mutant, or a witch, or a re-incarnation of one-fifth of a demon's soul. Not that he had ever brought _that_ up with her. Mostly he just laid there, letting her coax him through free-association, or answering her questions if they weren't too personal. He rarely ever offered anything of himself without her asking about it. He would have stopped going a long time ago, but Teddy always got this _look_ on his face when Billy talked about skipping therapy. It was as bad as the look he got when he looked at that damn window seat.

The tea kettle screamed at him, and he took it off the heat gingerly, remembering to turn the burner off. Then he poured the steaming water into two mugs, and pulled out their tea tins and strainers from the drawer he kept just for Teddy's growing tea collection. Billy hadn't seen the point of going through the trouble of using a tea-strainer and actual leaves instead of instant tea bags, but Teddy was a connoisseur of tea, and he insisted on it. After using one for a few months, Billy had had to agree that tea did taste better that way.

He had just set the mug down on their small kitchen table when Teddy stepped into the kitchen, hair still damp, dressed in a pair of work-out pants, a white sleeveless shirt, and a jogging jacket. He had his basketball tucked under his arm, and a bag slung over his shoulder. Teddy slid into a seat at the kitchen table, and took his tea gratefully.

“Would your cooking skills be up to making me toast?” Teddy asked tentatively.

Billy smiled. “I think I could manage that.” He was glad that Teddy didn't say anything about the times where he had, in fact, managed to zone out enough to even burn toast. He popped two slices in the toaster and opened their fridge to get butter and jam.

He made a mental note of what they were out of while he had his head in the refrigerator. Even though he wasn't very good at cooking, he liked shopping well enough; and it was good to be able to help around the house. It was bad enough that he had to use Teddy's bank card for the shopping; at least he could go to the store and back by himself. If he tried hard enough, he could probably get Tommy to come along and zip all their groceries to the hideout, which would save a lot of time. He could do it himself, if his powers had been co-operating. As it was, he didn't want to potentially ruin their groceries by teleporting them to god knew where.

The toast popped out of the toaster, startling him back into reality. He really needed to watch out for spacing out like that. His therapist said it was common after such a long depressive episode, but he wanted to get better _now_ dammit. Billy buttered the toast just the way Teddy liked it, and added a thick layer of jam on top of each piece. Turns out either Skrulls or Kree, or both species, burned calories much faster than a normal human, and Billy had learned quite some time ago that Teddy could eat just about anyone under the table, except Tommy. But then, Tommy could burn more than ten thousand calories a day if he exercised enough. No normal person, or alien for that matter, could compete with that. Well. Maybe Thor. But gods didn't count.

Teddy took his toast with a smile of thanks, and than gave him a worried glance when Billy didn't go to get anything for his own breakfast. He tried to explain multiple times that he wasn't really a breakfast person. Coffee would keep him running until lunch. But since there wasn't any coffee, and since he needed to gain weight anyway, Billy got a breakfast bar out of one drawer and picked two bananas out of the fruit bowl. He gave one to Teddy, who took it and began eating it immediately, and sat down at the table to drink his tea.

“What time will you be home tonight?” He asked. Teddy's schedule changed a lot; sometimes every day, depending on if they had a game, or if there were special events running at the rec center. Billy had learned just to ask when he was going to be home, it saved a lot of headaches and worry.

“Should be home by seven, if I catch the right bus. Do you want to get pizza and watch a movie or something? We haven’t really gone on any dates lately.”

“Tommy will probably crash it if we have a date here...” Billy said slowly. Then again, if they made out a little bit, it wouldn't be hard to get his twin to leave. And it _had_ been a long time since they had done anything resembling a date. “Yeah. Yeah I'd like that.”

“If you call the pizza in, I'll pick it up on my way home.” Teddy said. That was the thing about having a secret hideout – they couldn't very well get pizza or takeout delivered. Tommy could usually be bribed into picking it up for them if they asked nicely, but if the goal was to get _rid_ of Tommy, well, then this was the best solution.

“Yeah, I can do that. A large Hawaiian and a large meat-lovers?” He suggested. “I'll get drinks and chips at the store today. And I can pick up the movie too. Did you have anything in mind?”

“ _Cabin in the Woods._ ” Teddy said, after a moment. “It's a Joss Whedon movie, so you know it's good. We never got a chance to go when it was in theaters.”

Billy's fault.

“Yeah, okay.” He tried not to pick at his breakfast, eating half the bar in one bite and washing it down with some tea.

“Well, I gotta go.” Teddy said, getting up and putting his dishes in the dishwasher. He came back to the table and pulled Billy in for a long, passionate kiss.

“I love you. I'll see you tonight.”

“I love you too.” Billy said, trying to project as much sincerity as possible into his tone.

Once Teddy had left, he ate the other half of the breakfast bar, finished his tea, and put his banana back in the fruit bowl. He cleaned up the mess from breakfast and wiped the table down before heading into their bedroom.

He pulled out whatever clothes his hands happened to land on – in this case, dark jeans and a faded Captain America t-shirt. He took a quick shower to warm up, and shaved the stubble off his face. Teddy used to like it when he was scruffy, since Billy could get a five o'clock shadow in a few hours, while Teddy couldn't grow body or facial hair unless he shifted into it. Both Skrulls and Kree seemed to be pretty hairless, but his boyfriend's inability to produce facial hair had never bothered Billy. Now Billy's facial hair just made them both think of the bad days where Teddy had to shave Billy's face himself because Billy had been incapable of doing it. He might never be able to grow a beard again without freaking them both out.

He brushed his teeth, applied aftershave, and dabbed on a little cologne. He wore it for Teddy, who'd gotten it for him as a birthday present two years ago. Teddy, on the other hand, was forbidden from wearing any scent. Billy liked the way he smelled naturally – he was a shape shifter, so his scent changed depending on his shape, but it always had the underlying scent that was pure _Teddy_. Teddy said it was probably an alien thing, but Billy didn't care.

He pulled his clothes on and threaded his rainbow belt through the loops. It had been another gift from Teddy – this one was from their first date, and regardless of how he was feeling, he never left home without it. He toed into his converse shoes, grabbed his backpack, which had all of his books in it, and put his wallet, keys and phone into his pockets.

He locked the door to their section of the hideout (though it wouldn't really keep Tommy out if he wanted to be in there) and headed out of their hideout. The security system would automatically lock behind him.

On the way to the library, he stopped at the corner store. He pulled out his ID and went right to the counter. “Two packs of Marlboro Menthol’s please.” He showed the cashier his ID, and pulled out cash from his wallet to pay. He refused to use Teddy's money to pay for cigarettes so he used the cash his mother gave him. Which wasn't much better, but he had to pay with _something_ , and neither his mother, Teddy, or his therapist was okay with him trying to get a job yet.

“That'll be 10.79.”

“Thanks.” He took both packs, putting one in his bag, and the other in his pocket. Once he got outside, he pulled out a cigarette and held it up. A small surge of power lit the tip, and he took a deep, long drag before heading off to the library. He could have taken the subway – it was more than a mile away, but he felt like walking.

He started smoking just after Teddy's proposal. He'd started therapy, had stopped drinking caffeine, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, he was going insane. He wasn’t allowed to drink, not that he'd ever drunk much to begin with. He'd never smoked a cigarette before, but he'd craved one so badly he'd gone and bought a pack. One cigarette a day turned into a half-pack a day habit. He probably would have smoked more, if the could have smoked when Teddy was around.

He didn't though. As far as he knew, Teddy had no idea he smoked. And he intended to keep it that way. Teddy would be terribly disappointed in him, he knew that. And after how much he'd already disappointed Teddy, he couldn't bear to do it again. But he couldn't quit either – cigarettes were one of the only things that helped his nerves. And with as rusty as his magic was, calming his nerves was extremely important.

He had another two cigarettes before he reached the library. He put out his last one at the door, putting it in the receptacle, then he walked inside. He smiled and waved to the librarian who knew him because he studied every day, before heading towards a table in the back to spread out his things and work at. He opened his GED study guide to the math section he was currently on. Then he pulled out his headphones, turned the music player on his smartphone on, and got to work.

It was amazing how much material you could lose after not during any school work for a few months. He'd been in an advanced calculus class before, and now he stared down at the equations with a blank mind, trying to remember what theorem he needed to solve this particular problem. He sighed and opened his math book to look the problem up. It was going to be a long day.

He studied for two hours, then got up and took a smoke break, and then studied for two more hours. By then, his brain had decided it couldn't fit any more information inside, and he called it a day. He said goodbye to the librarian, and headed to the subway to catch a train to the grocery store.

He texted Tommy when he got out of the subway. <Getting groceries. Would you come by in an hour and help me carry them home?>

His phone buzzed three seconds later. <Get me snacks.>

Billy sighed. Tommy always had to be coerced into everything, even when it was something he didn't mind doing. Something about keeping up his reputation. <Yeah, okay. But me and Teddy call dibs on the entertainment center tonight.>

Two seconds later, <Ugh. It's all yours. I don't want to see you guys suck face.>

Billy smiled and put his phone back in his pocket. That was a close as Tommy was going to get to wishing them a good date. It took him moth of the hour to get groceries. Now that he knew Tommy would help, he could get everything they needed. He got all the ingredients Teddy had asked for, fresh produce, some frozen dinners for Teddy to take with him to work, sports drinks, non-caffeinated soda for that night, chips, the movie and snacks for Tommy. He paid with Teddy's card and wheeled the shopping cart out into the parking lot to wait for Tommy.

“Well, if it isn't Altman's little bitch.” An ugly voice came from behind him. “What are you doing here Kaplan? A bit poor for your taste isn't it?”

It was Greg. Billy hadn't seen him in months, but there was no mistaking that voice, and those angry, bigoted eyes. “I don't want any trouble Greg.” Billy said slowly, stepping away from his grocery cart and raising his arms in a non-threatening manner.

“Well, that's too bad, cuz we do.” Greg told him, and cracked his knuckles menacingly. Greg's stupid street tough lines would be more funny if he wasn’t actually about to get his ass handed to him. He'd learned some self-defense moves from Teddy and Eli, but he was used to relying on his magic in combat, and he couldn't use that here.

Billy swallowed. He felt his magic boiling in his blood, demanding to be let out and used, not to just stand there like an _idiot_. He fiercely held his power back as Greg reached out and grabbed the front of Billy's t-shirt, pulling him in close for the punch that was going to hurt like a _bitch_.

He raised his hands to protect himself instinctively, and that's when he lost control. His magic shot out of him, lightning crackled from his eyes, raced up his arms, and shot out his hands. It would have hit Greg in the face, except Greg wasn't holding onto him any more, so the lightning arced off into the sky.

Tommy was there, grabbing onto his still sparking hands and talking to him, his voice sounding very far away. “Billy! Bil-ly!” Then Tommy smacked him upside the head. “Snap out of it!”

Billy's head cleared, and his magic jolted back through his hands, up his arms, through his center, and down his legs into the cement. It felt not unlike getting struck by lightning himself. “Fuck.” He said.

“You mutant freaks!” Greg screamed at them from several feet away. His buddies were already gone, scared away by either Billy's lightning or Tommy's speed. Greg was just as frightened as his friends; but he was angry too.

“I just saved your life _asshole_.” Tommy snapped.

“You're going to hell!” Greg said again, before bolting.

“Save it, racist bastard.” Tommy muttered under his breath.

“Hey, you okay Billy? Got the fireworks under control?” Tommy asked him, forcing Billy to look at him.

“Y-yeah. I got it.” He said, ignoring the wavering in his own voice.

“It'll take me like two minutes to run these home. I'll be right back, and we can walk home together.” Tommy said, and disappeared.

That's how Billy knew something was really wrong; Tommy was being _nice_ to him. He felt the rush of wind several times as Tommy stopped by to pick up their groceries and dash off again. He really hoped Tommy didn't break the eggs again.

He lit a cigarette while he waited for Tommy. It was the only thing he could do, really. He got two drags off the cigarette, and was starting to calm down a little, before Tommy appeared by his side again and said,

“Does Teddy know you smoke those?”

“Shit!” Billy jumped, scowling at his twin.

“That's not an answer.” Tommy said, walking leisurely beside him on the way home. It couldn't be easy for him to walk slowly beside Billy, but he did it anyway. His feet were tapping on the cement, his fingers drumming against his thigh, and his whole body was vibrating a little. But he didn’t complain and his face showed no outward signs of impatience.

Billy sighed, and took another long drag from his cigarette, hoping it would miraculously help. “No, he doesn’t know. Don't tell him Tommy, it's the only coping mechanism I've got left.”

“You could always talk to _me_ ya know.” Tommy grinned, slinging his arm across Billy's shoulders.

Billy shoved him off. “I don't really feel like talking about it.”

Tommy's eyes narrowed and he lost the jovial tone in his voice. “Well too damn bad, because we're going to talk anyways. Not about cigarettes, about your _powers_.”

Billy scowled again. He finished his cigarette and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “There's nothing to talk about. There’s nothing wrong.”

“Oh, so you _meant_ to almost fry that asshole. Well, good. That makes me feel _so_ much better.” Tommy said sarcastically.

“Fine. I _might_ be having some problems.”

Tommy snorted.

“I'm just out of practice.” He insisted. “I've been meditating, and I think it'll pay off eventually.”

“Oh yeah?” Tommy asked, genuinely interested now. “And are you likely to kill us in our sleep at any point during that time?”

They had arrived back at the hideout. Apparently he walked faster when he was pissed. Tommy leaned against the brick facade and just glared at Billy, completely and deadly serious.

“Why would you _say_ that?” Billy asked, typing the security code to the warehouse. It was accepted, and a panel lifted way to take his hand print and retinal scan, and then he used his key in the lock.

“Because I am legitimately concerned!” Tommy insisted, closing the door behind him. “Teddy's always been the one who helps you when you lose your control, and you _haven't told him yet._ ”

Billy put his book bag down at the kitchen table. “I'm sorry. I'm already such a fuck-up. I don't want to screw this up too.”

“That...makes sense actually.” Tommy said. “I can understand that. Look, why don't I put the groceries away and you go meditate or whatever.”

“Thanks Tommy.” Billy said, and pulled his twin in for a hug. “I won't tell anyone how nice you've been today.”

Tommy squirmed in his grip. “Ok, ok, get off me now. Go do your witch stuff.”

Doing magic on an empty stomach was a stupid idea, so Billy made himself a snack before he went to go meditate. He also called in the pizza, so that it would be ready when Teddy got off work. He let himself have one more cigarette before he couldn't put off training any longer. He headed toward the training room and then locked himself inside. The doors wouldn't open unless he opened them himself, to prevent any dangerous magic from escaping. When he was still doing magic regularly, he'd set up wards so he could work with magic without worrying about its effects leaking out of the room.

Billy sat in the middle of the room cross-legged, and placed his hands on his knees. He tried to relax, sitting up straight and staring at the far wall. He took a deep breath and let it out, trying to clear his head and concentrate.

'I want to be in control. I want to be in control. I want to be in control.'

Billy felt his magic welling up inside him. It was hot and angry, it wanted to be used. If his magic was a person, it was angry at him - extremely angry. It hadn't been used in almost eight months, and now, instead of a loyal hound, it had grown into a snarling wild dog. He felt an angry jolt of power run through his body and stopped mid chant. His fingers ached and gave off blue sparks.

“Dammit!”

He took a deep breath and tried again. 'I want to be in control. I want to be in control. I **want to be in control. I want to be in control!'**

“God dammit!” He shrieked as his power boiled up inside of him and exploded outwards – lightning shot from his hands, eyes and chest, and it _hurt_. Billy screamed as it drained out of him, pent of power bursting out.

“Billy? Billy!” Teddy's anxious voice called from the other side of the training room door.

Billy collapsed on the floor, everything numb and aching. When had Teddy gotten home? He'd only been meditating for a few minutes, right? Teddy wasn't supposed to be home for hours. Unless it had been longer than a few minutes. Time...did strange things while Billy was working magic, sometimes.

“Dammit Tommy, we’re locked out! Vibrate us through.”

Even though he hurt his magic was still running wild. Billy could feel it, only using him as a means of escaping into the world. “Tommy stay out!” He gasped. Teddy could probably handle being blasted with raw magic. Tommy could not.

“I...Iwantcontrol.” Billy grit out. He had to get a grip on this.

And then Teddy was there, huge, and hulked and green. Tommy was nowhere to be seen. Teddy encircled him in his strong, green arms, and held on, even when Billy's skin started sparking lightning against him.

“Billy, you've got to lock it down.”

“I'm _trying_!” Billy panted. “Aah!”

Billy screamed again as his magic flared, pulsing out of him. It was fire this time, the normally cool blue flames around his hands growing sullen and red and hot. He could feel Teddy's flesh melting as he gripped tightly and refused to let go.

“Say it!”

Billy pushed past the pain and nausea and focused on Teddy. They'd practiced this, he could do this. He was the master of his magic, he just had to get it back to where it belonged. He could do this.

'I want control. I want control.” God, it hurt so bad. “I want control. I want control.” He bit back a sob and continued “I want control. I want _control. IwantcontrolIwantcontrolIwantcontrol IwantcontrolIwant...”_

The pain slowly ebbed away as he slipped into a trance. He opened his inner eyes, and stared at the mess his magic had made inside him. Angry red lines of power cris-crossed his inner self, no longer leading properly from the earth, through him, and outwards, but instead tangled and knotted together in a complete and miserable mess. He sighed, and got to work.

He used to ground himself and pull all his magic into his center, and then out again from there. He'd lost his center when Cassie and Vision had died, and hadn't found it since. Without that stable center for his magic, all he could do was reign in all his stray magic, and ground himself properly, so that his magic was flowing out of the earth, though him, and back into the earth. Everything would be so much better with a center, but he'd just have to deal.

It took longer than he'd wanted, and when he came back out of trance, Teddy's arms had healed completely, so it had been at least an hour. Billy's muscles were achy and stiff, and he was completely exhausted. He no longer felt like he was going to explode though, which Billy considered a victory.

“How you feeling?” Teddy asked gently, once Billy had moved enough that he knew he was awake.

“...better.” He admitted.

“Can you walk?”

“No.” Billy didn't even have to think about it.

Teddy stood up and brought Billy with him. He picked up Billy like it was nothing; and with Teddy's super strength, it probably was nothing. Billy leaned back against Teddy’s chest. Teddy smelled good, it was relaxing. Billy felt himself slipping away as Teddy punched open the code that opened the training room and carried him out into the main room.

“Don't go to sleep babe. You need to eat first,” Teddy told him gently. “I need to make sure you're not going into shock after that.”

Billy was pretty sure he was in shock already, but he didn't argue. He tangled his fingers in Teddy's sweatshirt and tried to hold on when Teddy laid him gently on the couch. He'd spelled Teddy's clothes over a year ago to stretch with him, after Teddy'd ripped right through a limited edition Zelda sweatshirt his mother had bought him before she died. Billy had put the sweatshirt back together with magic, and then sat down to figure out how to preserve the rest of Teddy's wardrobe. Even when his parents had been paying Teddy had racked up a ridiculous bill in clothes.

Teddy chuckled. “I'll be right back Bee. I'm gong to go get you something to drink.”

“Best fiancee ever.” Billy muttered tiredly, letting go of Teddy's sweatshirt.

“I try.”

He came back a few minutes later with a plate full of pizza and chips,and a can of caffeine-free orange soda. Billy stared at him sleepily until Teddy put the food down and pulled Billy up into a sitting position, sat down, and pulled Billy against his chest. Billy hummed in pleasure, and rubbed his face against Teddy's chest.

“Don't make me feed you.” Teddy warned. Billy knew he'd do it, though he hadn't decided if that was a threat, or a treat.

“Soda first.” Billy insisted, and Teddy handed the can to him.

He drank it all, and felt better almost instantly, as the sugar dissolved in his stomach and spread through his body. He also ate a slice of pizza under Teddy's supervision before sighing and putting his food down on his lap.

“Teddy, this was supposed to be a date. If I'm gonna be sitting here like this with you, you should get some food too, and we should watch the movie.”

“You sure?”

“Yes! God, I fucked up enough today, can we _please_ just have our date? I don't want to ruin that too, unless I already have.”

“You didn't ruin anything Billy. I'll go get something to eat. Turn the TV on for me? I'll put in the disc.”

Billy reached over and grabbed the remote, hoping Teddy didn't notice the way he clutched his head as a wave of nausea and dizziness passed through him from the simple movement. He loaded up the disc and skipped through the previews to reach the Blue-ray main screen.

Teddy returned with what looked like half the pizza and chips on his plate, and a can of Mountain Dew that Billy had gotten him. Just because Billy couldn't have caffeine didn't mean Teddy had to suffer too. He sat back down, put his plate in his lap, his drink on a coaster on the arm of the couch, and swung his feet up on one of the matching ottomans. He held his left arm out and Billy lay back down, cuddled into Teddy's side with Teddy's arm across his shoulders and waist.

Billy started the movie and grabbed the other can of soda. The sugar was really helping, and he didn't think he could handle more food without it. The movie was good. Joss Whedon was one of Billy's favorite directors, and he never failed to pull off an amazing story. Billy was just having trouble keeping his eyes open. He'd drank both his sodas and eaten his food, and about halfway through the movie Teddy had put his plate on the coffee table and pulled Billy into his lap. He was exhausted, and Teddy's lap was warm and comfortable.

The next thing he knew, Teddy was shaking him softly and the credits were playing. Tommy was sitting in a chair next to the couch, feigning interest in the television. More than likely he was waiting for them to leave so he could play his Xbox – the main television was much larger than his own.

“Ah shit. I'm sorry Teddy.” Billy said honestly. “Why didn't you wake me?

“Well, I was going to, but Tommy came in and gave me the evil eye.” Teddy explained.

“I did not. I just wanted to use the TV before I go to work. I looked at you the way I always look at you.” Tommy scoffed.

“And you're going where for work again?” Teddy teased. It was a rather sore subject for Tommy. He insisted he had a job, but since none of them had ever seen him in a uniform, he 'worked' strange hours, and refused to talk about what he did, none of his former teammates believed him.

“None of your business.” Tommy said sourly.

“Don't fight with him Tee. Let’s just go to bed.” Billy said, trying to salvage something from the evening and keeping Teddy and Tommy from fighting like the in-laws they sort of were.

“Okay.” Teddy scooped him up again, which was embarrassing rather than romantic, partly because Tommy was there.

“Don't worry about cleaning up, I got it.” Tommy offered, which meant he was concerned about Billy. Which was potentially more embarrassing than being carried like a little kid, or a girl. Of course, Tommy might just be after their leftovers. Billy decided to believe that instead.

Billy suffered in silence as Teddy carried him up to their room, because there was nothing else he could do. When Teddy laid him gently in bed, he tugged on Teddy's sleeve until his fiancee slid in bed next to him. Billy scooted closer to him, wrapping a leg around Teddy's and laying his head on Teddy's collarbone. His hand slipped inside Teddy's shirt, and he muttered,

“Sorry.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Teddy asked him, returning the gesture, one of his arms slipping around to rub comforting circles on Billy's back, and the other easing under his clothes for a possessive yet gentle grip on Billy's hipbone.

“Not really.” Billy mumbled. “But I know you do.”

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.” Teddy said honestly.

“Yeah well....me too.” Billy said. “I feel a lot better now though. My magic's been all out of whack for weeks. I finally got it grounded again today.”

“I don't really know what that means.”

“It means I have control again, for now. It'll take a few days to recover from what happened, but I shouldn't start leaking magic everywhere like that again.”

“Good. You scared Tommy.” Teddy told him, nuzzling down into Billy's hair like he hadn't been just as concerned.

Billy laughed, even if it did sound a little desperate. “But not you?”

“I knew you would hold it together.” Teddy said. The hand on Billy's hip drifted a little slower, gently slipping under the waist band of Billy's pants. It didn't really go anywhere, but Teddy's thumb stroked the inside of his thigh absently. It was obvious that Teddy wanted more – he usually did, but he wouldn't do anything without Billy asking for it first. It was one of his best and worst qualities.

“Hey Teddy?”

“Yeah?” Teddy was a little distracted, if the lazy tone of his voice was anything to go by.

“I think I want to have sex.”

That got Teddy's attention. “Really?”

“Yeah. You'll have to do all the work though. I can hardly move.” It was unfortunately true. As much as Billy might have liked to take the lead and finally fix this fucked up evening, his body was mostly unresponsive to his wishes.

Teddy pulled him in for a deep kiss. Billy could feel him hardening, even through his jeans. It had been so long since they'd had real sex, Teddy was probably more than ready. It probably wouldn't even last long, but Billy was willing to bet it'd feel damn good.

“Yeah. Yeah I can do that.” Teddy confirmed, not even trying to disguise the lust in his voice now.

“Good.” Billy smiled as Teddy proceeded to strip their clothes off, probably hoping if he did it fast enough, Billy wouldn't change his mind. The rest of the night might have been awful, but Billy had gotten this right at least. Life was good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got this work all outlined out, and I thought I was going to get away with 5 chapters, which is super freakin short for me, but I think it's going to have to be six. Can't rush that Tommy/Noh-varr love. :3
> 
> There is references to violence, torture, homelessness and starvation in this chapter. And the ever present explicit language.
> 
> As mentioned in some of my other fics: We really don't know much about the Kree, and Noh-varr is some kind of cyborg hybrid anyways. So I sort of make up stuff about what he can and can't do, and it's not always the same between my fics. I sort of tailor his weird alien quirks to each story.
> 
> Enter - Noh-varr!

Chapter 2

Noh-varr snuck through the alley, his back against the cement wall, checking everywhere to make sure he was alone. He wasn’t the only one who used this alley – he shared it with a few other homeless people, some kids who smoked illegal substances, and occasionally lovers too drunk to get any further from the club next door before screwing with abandon.

His eyes focused on the gloom – there was no one, except for a cat hiding under a dumpster. He smelled only rotting garbage, piss, other bodily fluids, and other normal city smells – smoke, pollution, and despair. The membranes over his ears vibrated, hearing people talking, walking by, cars trapped in the ever present deadlock of the street, and planes flying overhead.

No immediate threat.

He left the wall and headed over to the green bin next to the dumpster. An employee of the restaurant had just placed the evening's organic garbage in the bin, and Noh-varr planned on getting his dinner before anyone else. It was considerate of humans to separate their organic and inorganic products – it made dumpster diving a more pleasant experience. Though he still checked the contents of the bags – he'd eaten a battery by mistake last winter, when he'd been too hungry and cold to look at what he was eating. He'd been sick for days after that.

Noh-varr grabbed the top bag out of the bin, and brought it around to the other side of the dumpster, where he was out of the immediate line of sight of the alley and restaurant door. He quickly opened the bag, and looked inside. Everything looked edible – mostly food scraps customers hadn't eaten, or ingredients that had to be thrown out before the next shift. There were also napkins and boxes and other things that wouldn't taste very good, but were perfectly digestible. He concentrated on his sense of taste until it shut down, and dug in.

Living off the land this way wasn’t something Noh-varr particularly enjoyed doing. He had a brilliant mind, and until recently, he had been a superhero. But then he'd made two very unfortunate mistakes that had his own people out for his blood and had been banned from Earth. Between his two options of certain death or imprisonment and possible death, Noh-varr had snuck back onto Earth. And while he could have gone anywhere, he chose New York, because it as the only Earth city he knew – the only one he stood a small chance of surviving in. He never used his powers, doing his best to blend in. As a homeless person, few humans took any note in his appearance, even when his white hair was visible. He found that most humans seemed ashamed of the homeless, and if they looked at them at all, it was to shove guilty dollars in their hand and run off.

He did odd jobs when he could – anything that didn't require a form of ID and wasn’t illegal. He couldn't explain to people just how _alien_ he was, and he did everything in his power to avoid a run-in with law enforcement, which could all too easily turn into a run-in with the Avengers. The rest of the time he drifted, watching humans and trying to understand what made them do what they did. He'd done it since he'd fallen to Earth the first time, and he still didn't understand them.

He ate what he could, resorting to eating human’s garbage when he didn't have anything else to eat. He lived in cardboard boxes, under awnings, on park benches, under bridges, and in abandoned warehouses. He might not have survived the New York winter if his physiology hadn't allowed him to withstand much greater temperature extremes than humans. It had still been a miserable few months, and he hadn't dared to use any of his abilities to make anything easier for himself. It was still better than being dead, or being in a prison cell, or worse, being dissected in a lab again.

A loud meow beside him brought him out of his thoughts. The alley cat had come out from underneath the dumpster and was demanding to be fed. It knew Noh-varr – they shared the same hunting grounds, after all – and the cat always demanded tribute.

Noh-varr liked the cat. It wasn't afraid of him, even though he was the much bigger predator. It demanded its fair share of his kill, simply because it suffered Noh-varr's presence. And it had kept its territory since Noh-varr had found this place – it was a fighter, not a runner. He could almost believe the cat lived in this alley because it wanted to, not because someone had abandoned it.

 **< Here you are, mighty hunter.**> Noh-varr said to the cat, in Kree. The cat didn't mind, and Noh-varr wouldn't be speaking Kree to anyone else any time soon. He had to speak English to blend in, when he spoke at all, but he was determined not to lose his mother tongue. The cat sniffed the chicken dubiously, then darted forward and snatched its prize from Noh-varr's hand, carrying it back under the dumpster with a growl, ready to defend its meal if necessary.

Noh-varr laughed at it, and went back to eating. He finished off the entire bag in less than fifteen minutes – he had an enormous metabolism, and he wasn't guaranteed to get all the nutrition he required from a single bag of assorted organic waste.

He considered going back for a second bag, but the restaurant’s busboy would be coming out for a smoke break soon, and would probably actually call the cops if he caught Noh-varr sneaking around again. After the restaurant closed for the night, other homeless people would be by to dig through the garbage, and Noh-varr didn't want to be here when they arrived. He still had wanted posters up and there probably wasn’t a human alive who would hesitate to turn him in.

Noh-varr got up and pulled the hood on his worn gray sweatshirt down over his hair and eyes, and left the alley as quickly as he could. He resisted the urge to rub his arms – it was definitely fall now, and it was getting cold at night. He could practically taste the bite of impending winter in the air. He was not looking forward to spending another winter homeless.

Of course, he wasn't _strictly_ homeless any more. Last winter, after almost dying from ingesting lead and battery acid, he'd stumbled through the city, delirious, looking for somewhere to get out of the cold, consume as much garbage as possible, and heal. He'd ended up in an abandoned building scheduled for demolition, where no other homeless people had taken residence in yet. It was a ridiculously lucky find. Due to the recession, a strike in the construction union, and the property not being purchased, the building had remained through the spring and summer. If it wasn't torn down in the next month, it wouldn't be demolished until spring.

Noh-varr slipped into his place, listening to make sure no one had followed him home. The last thing he needed was to have the cops find out he was squatting. There was nothing. He relaxed, as much as he ever did, when he stepped into his living quarters. He had scrounged a ripped mattress from a dumpster, a nightstand made from an old box, a cracked mirror, and a razor he had sharpened and used to shave. He had some blankets, a tooth brush, a single change of clothes he'd need to start wearing soon to stay warm, some gloves, a scarf, and a few pots and buckets that he had sitting around to catch water from leaks, or cook with on the rare occasion he could.

Noh-varr knelt over the bucket of water he kept for washing, and rinsed his hands and scrubbed his face. He shivered, and turned off his ability to feel in those areas to avoid the sharp bite of the cold water. He still smelled foul – he rarely got a chance to bathe, unless you counted when he stood out in the rain and got soaked. That was also the only time he could do his laundry – if he had quarters, it went to food, not to a washing machine.

Noh-varr yawned, and went over to his duffel bag, which he always kept packed. Under the clothes, blankets, and his few toiletries, were his old armbands, the ones he had brought with him from his home dimension. He was prepared to leave at a moment's notice – he wouldn't leave these behind. He was pulling out his blankets to sleep, when his ears heard people talking – entering the building. He shoved his blankets back in his bag, zipped it up and ran away from the sound, hiding behind some rotting crates, controlling his breathing and listening for the intruders.

“I hope this place works. The other three have been a bust.” One male voice was saying.

“Yeah, me too. I really need to make some money soon.” Said another male voice. Noh-varr felt he should recognize it, which was never a good thing. He slowed his breathing even further. He did not want to get into a fight.

“Damn.” The familiar voice said again, having stepped into the room. “Someone _lives_ here.”

“So?” Said the other voice. “This place is perfect – there's plenty of room, obviously not patrolled if someone's living here. And its condemned, so the owner isn't going to be around until they knock it down.”

“I'm not putting someone out of their place and back on the streets, Donovan.”

“Come _on_ Tommy! It's one person. I'm sure they'll find somewhere else. And they'd lose this place when it's demolished anyways. What about all our guys huh? If we don't make some money soon, we're going to be homeless too. You need the money, right?”

Noh-varr slid slowly away. He had to get out of here before they found him.

“Yeah...but being homeless is – wait, what was that?”

Noh-varr froze. Of _course_ Tommy would have sensitive hearing. Not that he could connect the name to the voice. He heard the sound of wind, and then Tommy was in front of him. Not Tommy – Thomas Shepard, aka Speed, former member of the Young Avengers. Great. The last time they'd met, Noh-varr was trying to kill him.

“You live here?” Thomas asked, and then his eyes darkened as he took in Noh-varr's appearance.

“ _You_.”

Shit.

Noh-varr considered his options for a few seconds. If he moved to flee or attack, Thomas would counter or catch him. He was fast, but Thomas was faster. The only way he could get away would be to do something unexpected.

So he leaned forward, grabbed the back of Thomas' head, and kissed him. The tactic was effective – Thomas froze, completely not expecting that course of action. It was long enough for his saliva to enter Thomas' bloodstream.

“Don't follow me.” Noh-varr said.

Then he ran.

xxx

Tommy's vision swam with color and sound. He felt like he was running really fast, except he couldn't feel his limbs. He felt like he was flying, except he couldn't do that. Maybe he'd finally gotten some of Billy's powers too. Everything was so _pretty_. It was...it was...

What the hell?

Tommy shook his head, trying to clear it. He thought he could hear someone talking to him. Everything was moving so _slowly_ , like someone had ripped his brain out and stuffed it with cotton.

“Tommy! Are you okay?” A worried female voice penetrated the haze.

“Nnhn...” Was that his voice?

“ _Iwanthimtobeokay. Iwanthimtobeokay. Iwanthimtobeokay._ ”

Dammit Billy! Don't cast spells! Your powers are on the fritz! Is what he wanted to say. But all that came out was more incoherent mumbling. Slowly his vision cleared. Kate, Teddy and Billy were all standing over him, their faces displaying deep concern. Billy was still casting his spell, his eyes glowing, the glow on his hands sputtering as he tried to keep his concentration. His head still felt full and stuffy, his motions sluggish. His tongue and lips were numb, but he managed to say,

“Billy, shut up already before you blow up the place.”

That got him a smile from Kate, and what looked like annoyed affection on Teddy's face. Billy broke off his spell and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

“You're welcome, ass.”

He tried to sit up, and groaned as the world spun around him and Teddy pushed him firmly back down on the couch.

“Ugh, how long was I out?”

“You've been delirious for hours.” Kate told him. She almost kept the smug grin off her face too. “Your friend Donovan called Billy and had them come get you. He'd been carrying you a few blocks but you just kept getting worse. What happened Tommy? Did you get attacked?”

Tommy realized that Kate had her bow slung over her shoulder, and that Teddy was bigger, and very green. And Billy had a very grim look about him. They were expecting trouble.

His brain was still processing things at an agonizingly slow pace, but he managed to walk back through the haze of color and access his last coherent memories. “It wasn't an attack...I mean it was. But. Fuck. I can't think straight – I feel like I've got molasses for brains. Is this how you guys feel all the time?”

Teddy ignored the half-hearted attempt at a jibe. “What do you mean, _sort_ of an attack?”

“Well...I startled a guy. I kinda just ran into him, I guess you could say. It was Noh-varr, that creepy cockroach Kree bastard.”

“You _ran into_ Noh-varr?” Billy asked incredulously. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you? He's been on the Avenger's most wanted list for the last year! He took out our entire team! Hell, he took out the entire Avengers team! How are you okay?”

“I'm _fine_. Oh ye of little faith.” Tommy grumbled. “I could have taken him. Except he fucking cheated. The bastard _kissed_ me.”

Kate started laughing at him. Outright, mocking laughter. Tommy frowned. Teddy's mouth was curved up in a smirk, like he was trying really hard to be nice about it but really wanted to laugh at him too. Even Billy was snickering.

“Shut up! It's not funny!”

“It kinda is.” Billy said.

“It _so_ isn't. He's got some crazy spit or something, because as soon as he slobbered on me, I started tripping balls.”

“Well, yeah. He's got nanobots in his bodily fluids. He's a Kree-insect hybrid.” Billy informed him matter-of-factly.

“I don't even want to _know_ how you know that.” Tommy said crossly. “Make yourself useful and do a location spell. I need to find that asshole.”

Billy glared at him. “Why? So you can turn him in to the Avengers?”

“Uh... _yeah_. He's on the most wanted list!”

“And so was our mother. And so was _I_.” Billy snarled. “I'm never trusting the Avenger's opinions on who deserves what ever again.”

That sort of shut everyone up. They all looked away, clearly not wanting to talk about the disastrous incident that was their search and rescue of the Scarlet Witch.

“Fine. But we still need to find him. He didn't look too good. And if you’re all against the Avengers getting a hold of him, then _we_ need to find him first.”

Billy scowled and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I'm still not helping you.”

“Oh, c'mon! Don't be an _ass_!” Tommy groused. He and Billy glared at each other for a few minutes.

“ _Please_.” Tommy ground out.

“Oh, alright.” Billy gave in under the 'I'm trying to be _nice_ here' glare. “But not tonight. You can't even stand. We'll go tomorrow night.

“I am _fine_.” Tommy insisted. “We can go tonight.” He stood up, to prove it, and promptly passed out.

xxx

Noh-varr spent the next day on the run. He didn't stop to sleep, or eat, or do anything except keep moving, looking over his shoulder, all his senses alert for any sign of pursuit. He couldn't go back to his place, he couldn't go back to his old hunting grounds. He'd have to move to another part of the city, lay low and hope the Avengers didn't find him. Carving out a territory without using violence was difficult to say the least. He didn’t sleep that night or the next day, before finally coming upon a small park with a plastic tunnel in it. He crawled inside, actually flexible enough to fit, and curled up into a miserable ball. He rerouted all his senses to his ears, so he could sleep without being kept awake by the cold and still have a way to monitor his surroundings. Then he slept.

xxx

Noh-varr woke with a start, instantly alert. Something was wrong. He turned back on his sense of taste and smell and sight, and swore softly in Kree. He was surrounded. He shouldn't have counted on his auditory senses being enough to detect danger.

“We know you're in there, Noh-varr.”

Tommy's voice. So possibly not the Avengers. That didn't mean much – the Young Avengers had just as much reason to hurt him as the Avengers did, though they had chosen to help him instead of hurting him, last time.

“...” He tried to say something in English, but all that came out was a ragged cough.

He crawled out of the tunnel and stood up, keeping his hands in the air. They did not look happy to see him. Hawkeye had her bow trained on him, with what was probably a tranq arrow on the tip. Hulkling was green and massive, with giant claws coming from each of his fingers. Wiccan was on the ground instead of the air, but his eyes glowed blue and lightning was sparking off his fingertips. And Thomas was standing directly in front of him, his arms crossed, and a glare on his face, his foot tapping impatiently.

He cleared his throat, and tried again. “I mean no harm.” His voice sounded rough and raspy, his tongue no longer used to creating the foreign sounds.

“Then why are you _here_ Noh-varr?” Hawkeye asked angrily. “You're wanted by the Avengers.”

“I had no where else to go.” He said honestly, seeing no point in lying.

“What do you mean?” Hulkling asked. “You're a Kree, go _home_.”

Ironic, coming from a hybrid who refused to do just that. “My people will kill me. I...made a mistake, with the Avengers. I thought I could fix it, and it only made my own people turn against me. And even though in the end I chose humans over my own people, the Avengers did not give me a second chance.”

“That still doesn't explain why you're here.” Wiccan pointed out. “You even said the Avengers don't trust you any more.”

“The Avengers don't usually kill anyone. At the hands of my people I face imminent execution. On Earth, if I stay out of sight and do not cause trouble, I may avoid notice. If I am caught, there is a high chance I will go to prison, not to my death. It was the better of two options.”

The Young Avengers seemed to take a moment to digest that information. He wondered if they could really understand having to choose between death and torture – if they could understand the pain of being condemned for a single mistake on a team of heroes who made countless mistakes of their own, simply because he was an alien.

“How long have you been laying low?” Thomas asked. “How long have you been living on the street?”

Noh-varr was not ashamed of what he'd had to do to survive. But looking at Thomas, who was veiling a look of concern, he felt like he should feel ashamed for living that way. “I have been staying out of sight since just after my name appeared on the wanted list.” He said.

“But that was over a year ago!” This was from Wiccan, who looked as if he couldn't believe the Kree would live on the streets that long.

“You know, Noh-varr,” Thomas said, “If we can find you, that means the Avengers can too.”

“I am aware of that.” He said stiffly.

“So you're going to need a new place to hide out. You could stay with us.” The speedster offered.

“What?!” Wiccan, Hulkling, and Hawkeye said at the same time.

“Oh, come _on_.” Thomas said. “You guys were the ones who said we couldn't turn him over to the Avengers. Or do you not remember what happened the _last_ time a bunch of adults got involved in our business? _We_ paid the price.”

That got his team mate's attention.

“Even if Noh-varr did screw up, it's not like the other Avengers haven't been wrong before. They didn't even want us as a team in the first place. They wanted to _kill_ Billy. They wanted to let aliens take Teddy away! Noh-varr's not one of us, but _Vision_ thought he was worth saving. So why not give him a chance?”

“That...actually makes a lot of sense Tommy.” Hawkeye said slowly.

Thomas looked annoyed. “Just cuz I didn't finish school doesn't make me an idiot. I know what I'm talking about.”

“You...want me to go with you?” Noh-varr asked as Hawkeye lowered her bow. He lowered his hands as well, and reached into the tunnel to get his bag.

“Sure.” Hawkeye said.

“They still like _me_.” Hulkling admitted.

“You make Tommy nicer.” Wiccan said.

“Shaddup. Just take us home already.” Thomas scowled at his twin.

“What am I, a taxi?” Wiccan said. “Fine. Hold on to your lunch. _Iwanttogohome. Iwanttogohome. Iwanttogohome._ ”

Noh-varr's stomach lurched as they teleported, the world fading out around them, and then they were abruptly in someone's living room. It was an entirely unpleasant experience. If he'd had anything in his stomach, he would have lost it.

Wiccan sat down heavily on the couch, his face pale and gray. Apparently teleporting was not as easy as he made it seem. Hulkling had shifted back to human form and went to go get his boyfriend a glass of water. Hawkeye slung her bow off her shoulder and laid it reverently on the coffee table.

“I'm going to order Chinese.” She announced. Then she turned to Noh-varr. “Do you eat Chinese?”

“...There is very little human food I do not enjoy.” He said, still confused by this rapid change of events.

“Good. I'll get two of everything then. Teddy and Tommy eat a disgusting amount of food.”

“Can't help it. I'm a growing boy.” Tommy said with a grin. “C'mon cockroach boy, I'll show you where you're staying. You _seriously_ need a shower.”

Noh-varr agreed, and had to bolt at his fastest pace to keep up with the speedster, who zipped out of the apartment they were in, across the hall, down one door, and into another, smaller, apartment space.

“'S not as nice as Billy and Teddy's place – Billy cheated and magic'd them a double. You're right next to me, so don't try any funny shit.” Thomas flickered until he was right in front of Noh-varr. “And don't even _think_ about kissing me. I _will_ hurt you.”

“I am sorry.” Noh-varr said. “I did not want an altercation. It seemed like the best plan at the time.”

“Well, don't do it again.” Thomas insisted, and his eyes narrowed. “Now, I'm assuming you can shower by yourself?”

Noh-varr snorted at him. “Your world is primitive, but I'm sure I can manage to wash myself.” He said bitterly.

“Good. I'm gonna go steal some of Teddy's clothes. You won't fit in anyone else's.” Tommy said. “Plus, it'll make Billy mad.” He raced off again.

Noh-varr found the bathroom easily enough; the apartment was tiny. He stripped out of his worn clothes; and stepped into the shower. The water was warm, and it cut right through the chill in Noh-varr's bones. He looked for soap or shampoo, and saw none. Then there was a slight stirring of air, and soap, shampoo and a washcloth appeared on the back of the toilet, along with clean clothes resting on the closed toilet seat lid. His dirty clothes were gone. Getting used to living with a speedster was going to take...patience.

Noh-varr reached out and took the hygienic items Thomas had left him, noting that the soap was pumice based, designed to scrub grease off the skin of mechanics, or clean oil paints off an artist's brushes. He was extremely dirty, so he tried not to look into it as a statement about what Thomas thought of him. He scrubbed himself everywhere – scrubbed until he couldn't smell himself any more, and his limbs were no longer numb with cold. The shampoo wasn't made for Kree hair, but it worked well enough. He'd been able to keep it from growing, but hadn't been able to keep it from getting filthy. The shampoo smelled like citrus, which wasn't the worst smell, but by the time he was done, his whole head smelled like an orange grove.

He rinsed one last time and turned the shower off, stepping out onto the shower mat. There was a checkered towel hanging up on a hook, and he took it down and toweled off. He looked at the clothes Thomas had gotten him. There was a beige long-sleeved t-shirt, a darker brown hoodie, a pair of jeans, and some socks. Apparently he hadn't thought Noh-varr would want to wear Dorreck's underwear – which was good, because he didn't. Wearing his clothes would be bad enough.

He had to suppress a gag at the way the clothes smelled. The humans probably didn't notice – William probably even _liked_ the way that Dorreck smelled, but to Noh-varr it just smelled like _Skrull_. In his dimension, he had helped bring peace between the Kree and Skrull Empires, but that didn't mean he didn't have a millennium of genetic conditioning to hate everything about a Skrull. Like the fact that they _stank_.

Noh-varr grimaced and put the clothes on anyway. At least they didn't smell like homelessness. The clothes were awkward, and fit him in the wrong places. Dorreck was the same height as Noh-varr, but his legs were longer, so the pants were too long. Noh-varr's shoulders were broad, but nothing near Dorreck's, and he might have filled the shirts once, but he'd lost a lot of weight and muscle on the street, and looked ridiculous in Dorreck's huge clothes. He would have fit into Thomas' clothes better, if the speedster hadn't been four inches shorter than him.

He scowled at his reflection. Between the hollows under his eyes and Dorreck's clothes, he looked like a bedraggled and ill child. Perhaps it would help convince them not to turn him in, but he hated showing weakness in front of people who might turn against him. He left his room, and used the noise the teenagers were making to find his way through the warehouse turned apartment complex. He made his way down to the main part of the building, where there was a large eating area with a six foot table completely loaded with Chinese food.

The teens were already eating, Dorreck and Thomas' plates piled much higher than everyone else's. Everyone turned to look at him when he walked in, so he stopped, fighting the urge to shove his hands into his pockets.

William scowled at Thomas. “Why did you give him _Teddy's_ clothes?”

“Who else's clothes would I get him?” Thomas scoffed back, digging into his food.

“You can eat Noh-varr, it's okay.” Katherine said to him, coming over and looking at him with a gently mothering look.

“This is very strange.” He admitted.

“You'll get used to it.” She said with a smile.

He gave in and took a plate, putting some of everything on his plate, piling it just as high as Dorreck's. He'd had a variety of different Earth foods with the Avengers, but he'd discovered even the same types of food could be vastly different depending on which Earth restaurant one went to. He could easily eat three or four times the amount of food he had taken, but he was reluctant to eat more than his hosts. Even being here was surreal – he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his position.

Noh-varr walked to the living room area where the others were sitting. He eased himself to the floor in-between where Thomas was perched on the arm of the sofa, and where Katherine was siting in a plush arm chair. It was also as far away from the half-Skrull as he could get. Not that it helped much. He was wearing Dorreck's clothes, and the constant smell of Skrull in his nose made him want to hurt something.

“That's a lot of food.” Thomas jeered, “You sure you can eat all that?” He was already half done his enormous plate of food.

Noh-varr arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you challenging me to an eating contest?”

Thomas grinned. “Hell yes. You're nuts if you think you can eat more than a speedster can.”

“We'll see.” He managed a grin of his own.

Thomas wasn't lying – he ate like he had a dimensional portal in his stomach. If there had been enough food, there was a chance he could eat more than _Thor_. As it was, they never got to determine a winner of their eating contest, because by the time Dorreck had eaten another heaping plate, and he and Thomas had eaten five each, they were out of food. Thomas suggested they go get more to break the tie, but Katherine put an end to that.

Noh-varr helped clean up, though he briefly considered eating all the take-out containers. Not because they would taste particularly good, but because it pained him to throw away anything potentially edible. Once things were cleaned up and dishes were put back away, Katherine made them all sit down at the table.

“So we need to discuss how this is going to work.” She said, and gestured to him. “I figure your terms should be the same as everyone else who lives here. Rent and utilities are included, unless you start racking up some kind of insane bill. You'll have to get a job somewhere if you can; if you can't find anything you can do on your own, I might have a few places you can work under the table – that means no ID needed, paid in cash. Since you don't have anything of your own, I don't mind going out with you and buying you some things to start off with. If I don't spend it, dad'll just give the money to his mistress of the week. And at least for the first little while, someone will need to keep an eye on you. It's not that we don't trust you but -”

“You would be foolish to trust me immediately.” Noh-varr said smoothly. “I am more than grateful just to have somewhere to sleep.” He gave Thomas a _look_ when he said this, and the other man looked away with something that might have been guilt.

“Since he argued so hard in favor of you staying with us, Tommy can watch you.” Katherine said smugly.

Thomas sat up in his chair. “What? Why _me_? Billy's got way more experience at babysitting then me!”

“ _Billy_ has a GED to study for. Teddy’s got a job. What do you have that is so pressing you can't keep an eye on him for a couple weeks?”

“I have a job!” Thomas snapped.

“Oh yeah? What is it then? Do you write television reviews or something? You watch enough TV.”

“I do _stuff_ okay? Ugh, fine, whatever. Heaven forbid we keep Billy from studying. It's not like Noh-varr couldn't help with that. He's an inter-dimensional time traveler. Way smarter than a high school level.”

“Most of your Earth math is too primitive to understand.” Noh-varr put in, just to see Thomas' face darken in anger. “It is similar to using sticks to work out complex algebraic equations – the two are not compatible.” William laughed at this, which only irritated Thomas further.

“No one asked _you,_ Magical Spit Boy!” Thomas snarled.

“Enough!” Katherine said, throwing up her hands. “At least I won't have to worry about you hurting Noh-varr's feelings Tommy. We're going shopping tomorrow at eleven am, so be ready, alright?” She addressed this to Noh-varr.

“Of course.” And just like that, he had a schedule again. It was disturbing.

“Goodnight.” Katherine got her things and left.

Thomas had already sped off somewhere, leaving Noh-varr alone with William and Dorreck. He stared at them, not having the slightest idea of what to say to them. Finally he managed, “Thank you for the clothes.” It came out rather stiff, and he all but ran for his own rooms as fast as he could.

He collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to strip off his borrowed clothes. It had been so long since he'd slept in a real bed, his body immediately relaxed, refusing to move. He really should be more wary, technically he was still enemies with these people. But as soon as he shut his eyes, he was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are always welcome!! I find people to be strangely silent here on AO3. I love to talk, really!!
> 
> This work is currently self beta'd. Let me know if you notice any glaring errors.

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of notes on characterization: I'm really, really new to the YA fandom. Writing these characters and keeping them in character is a little difficult for me, especially since Tommy and Noh-varr get very little comic time. I also deliberately give Tommy a different personality in each fic, or at least I'm trying to. Billy is a potty mouth in this fic. :3 He's got a lot of shit going on, and language and cigarettes are really the only ways he's got to express it.
> 
> If anything seems too completely out of character let me know!!


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